Your sure tobe a suckcess. When it's 2:00am and you are still forcing your frail fingers to fill what you see as an unreasonable word count, you make mistakes. Even simple ones. But if you feel like your paper has more "suck" than success, there's a resource available for you—the Writing Centre. It can be intimidating to have a stranger read over the paper you have sacrificed sleep and sometimes even sanity for. But it's worth it. Before my first appointment at the Writing Centre, I was anxious. My paper, the creation I had worked on until I thought my eyelids would droop all the way to my chin, was about to receive a critique. I could not afford to fail on a paper worth a quarter of my grade. As it turned out though, my paper was not as brilliant as I had originally thought. And, neither did the tutor laugh menacingly, turn up a scholarly nose, or take out a lighter to burn my paper as I had anticipated. Instead, the appointment began with a few standard questions, and we talked about what my paper examined, what the professor required, when it was due, and what I was most concerned about. Then we read through it and caught grammar errors, strengthened transition sentences, and the tutor even helped me narrow my thesis statement. By the end of the appointment I was both encouraged and challenged. Apparently the tutors don't bite. Who knew? Last year, I became a Writing Centre tutor. I learned that we tutors cannot—unfortunately—guarantee you will receive an A+. However, we can help with anything from grammar to flow of ideas to those bibliographies every student is overjoyed to make. And I can assure you, every tutor is excited to help you. So, whether you're the next Maya Angelou or you have no clue who she is, another opinion on your writing can save you from embarrassing mistakes, and the Writing Centre can help you become the success you were meant to be. -Sarah-Ann Wijngaarden

Standing at the bus stop, unsure if the stop you’re at is where you are supposed to be, you wait for the city bus to pull up and take you to your intended destination. The bus driver gives you a frustrated glare as you nervously ask them what stop to get off at and awkwardly flash your student card. You get off at the right stop, soon to discover that you need to transfer onto a new bus to get you to where you really want to go. You repeat this process all over again, and forty-five minutes later you arrive at your destination, relieved that you’re still alive and happy to move onto your plans for the evening. A lot of us have been there and done that, and if you haven’t yet, you just might get the opportunity soon enough. The first bus ride is an intimidating and exhilarating experience, and I’m writing this to assure you that you don’t need to be too nervous. Here at Redeemer, you have unlimited access to the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR for short). No, there won’t be any trains picking you up outside of Redeemer’s campus anytime soon, but there are plenty of city buses that pass right by our beautiful campus to take you where you need to go. As a Redeemer University College student, you pay for a transit pass each year, which gives you access to any and all bus services provided by the HSR. Want to go downtown to visit the James St. North Artcrawl (which happens every second Friday evening of each month, by the way!)? Want to get to the Hamilton Waterfront to enjoy an evening of skating and hot chocolate? Want to go shopping or enjoy dinner with friends at Limeridge Mall? Well, the bus can and will take you to all of these local destinations, and it really isn’t that hard either! In fact, just last year a group of Redeemer students advocated City Council for improved bus service on Garner and Rymal Rd. in order to improve our connection to downtown Hamilton, and they listened! Here are a few tips and suggestions to get you on your way to transit success: · Ask for help! There are plenty of upper-year students who have experience with the bus system, and I am almost positive that they would be glad to help you figure it out. Don’t be afraid to ask, because their help might get you where you want to go faster than you even realized was possible. · Google Maps is your best friend! Built into its online and mobile app map system, Google has provided transit directions based on the most current bus schedules. All you need to do is click on the little transit button before you enter in your current location and your desired destination, and Google will give you the quickest directions. They even include detailed information on where to transfer and how long your wait will be. Download the app onto your phone today, and if you don’t have data on your phone, be sure to look up directions before you leave and print them off if you need to! · That bus you see driving through our campus several times a day is the Redeemer Shuttle. This bus drives a loop around Redeemer and the surrounding neighbourhoods to get you to the Meadowlands Terminal. A great spot for eating, shopping, watching movies or catching another bus. Schedules will be available online (unfortunately this route isn’t on Google at this time) and in front of the Student Senate office. Although the schedule may look intimidating and hard to read, it gives you detailed info on how to get to popular destinations. · Another option (and usually the faster and less confusing one) is to hop on the 44-Rymal, the bus that stops right in front of Redeemer’s campus. This bus connects to several main routes to get you to downtown or to the mall. · Wondering which bus route to transfer onto to get where you need to go? Here’s a helpful list: - WATERFRONT/JAMES ST. NORTH à 20 A-LINE EXPRESS: 1. Hop on the 44-Rymal and get off at Upper James St. 2. Walk across the intersection so you are on the North-East side of the street and wait for the number 20 bus. - LIMERIDGE MALL/HAMILTON MOUNTAIN à 26 UPPER WELLINGTON: 1. Hop on the 44-Rymal and get off at Upper Wentworth. 2. Walk across the intersection so you are on the North-East side of the street and wait for number 26 bus. - DOWNTOWN/JACKSON SQUARE à 34 UPPER PARADISE: 1. Hop on the 44-Rymal bus and get off at Upper Paradise Rd. 2. Walk across the intersection so you are on the North-East side of the street, across from Subway, and wait for the number 34 bus. 3. Get off at King and James and you are in the heart of downtown Hamilton! - MCMASTER UNIVERSITY/WESTDALE VILLAGE à 5C DELAWARE: 1.Take the shuttle to Meadowlands Terminal (or walk to the end of Kitty Murray Lane and wait at the bus stop in front of Montanas.) 2. Hop on the number 5 bus and get off at McMaster or in Westdale Village. · Now you know some popular routes and destinations and how to get to them. However, please check bus schedules and/or Google maps for your return route. Some buses do not run all evening and your return route may be a bit different, so it is extremely important to figure out how you are going to get back before you head out for the night. Taxi’s aren’t cheap, my friends! · A great resource to check out is www.hamiltontransit.ca. This is an independent website operated by a citizen of the city who really cares about people understanding the transit system. · Make sure you are listening and watching for your stop. There is a voice prompt that will indicate the next stop, but sometimes this isn’t operating, so pay attention to the scrolling LED stop display near the front of the bus, which will indicate the next stop. When you want to get off, pull the yellow cord or press a red STOP button and the bus drive will let you off. · Remember to breathe, relax, and have fun! There is so much to explore in this great city, and I would encourage you to take advantage of your transit pass this year. Who knows, you may even end up falling in love with downtown and plant some roots in the Ambitious City: Hamilton.

I was getting ready for work at 3 pm when all of a sudden I heard my Hakuna Matata ringtone go off. I was expecting one of my parents to be calling because they have yet to figure out this whole “texting thing,” and let’s be serious, who still calls their friends? I picked up my phone and saw my friend’s number on the caller ID. I picked up and asked her what’s up? Turns out she was nauseous, dizzy, and had a massive headache. I drove her to the hospital to get checked out and later she was diagnosed with vertigo. She called me because she needed help. I’m not a doctor, heck; I’m not even a good driver. But she needed someone to be there for her and I surely wasn’t going to tell a nauseous, dizzy person “I can’t, I’m getting ready for work;” “Are you sure you’re not just hungry?;” “Maybe if you leave now you can catch the bus”. No decent human being would ever say that. So why isn’t that our usual response to those who tell us that they are feeling down for no reason? Or that they are so stressed out that they can’t sleep? Now I know that most of us aren’t psychologists or therapist but come on guys. “It’s all in your head” or “Just get over it” should not be our response. You don’t tell a friend that just broke his arm “sleep it off,” although you would probably try to write something witty and embarrassing on their cast afterwards like, “crash test dummy,” or my personal favorite, “give me a break” (if you didn’t laugh at that one, I’m sorry, we can’t be friends) I’ve been working as a Mental Health Research and Implementation Assistant. That’s just a fancy way of saying I Google stuff for money, pretty sweet gig huh? And yes, I’ve gotten desperate enough to look past the third page of search results. Some of you are probably all like “There are more than two search page results on google?!?!? ohmigosh TWITTER NEEDS TO KNOW #TheMoreYouKnow” I’ve researched things pertaining to mental health policies, illnesses, helplines, community resources, health models, inspirational videos, different campaigns and projects, cool stories, and pictures of puppies. That last one was just for pure personal interest. Most of my research has led me to the same conclusion; the problem with the mental health stigma is you, within the society! Could you imagine! The second you plopped out of the womb and BAM!! Along with the placenta and your goo covered, 7 pounds and 12 ounce body, also came out the stigma of mental health. It’s our society not accepting, talking, or knowing anything about mental health. We should be able to openly talk about any sort of struggles we have whether it’s a physical, mental, or even spiritual. To find out more about mental health and how you can get help or help a friend, visit Redeemer’s Mental Health page!

Welcome to Redeemer! If you want to spend your time at Redeemer learning more about Hamilton and serving others then Deedz is a great opportunity to do so. Every Friday night, anyone who is interested will meet at the rec center and then take the city bus downtown. Once we are there, we hand out hot chocolate to people walking by and engage in conversation with them. Deedz is a great opportunity to share God's love with others, whether it's through a smile or offering hot chocolate or sharing the gospel or just listening to others share their lives with us. We go out with the mentality to bless others but we also are blessed in return. Through Deedz I have learned so much about different perspectives on life and have gained a couple of friendships downtown. Deedz is also a great way to meet fellow Redeemer students and make new friends. I was a Deedz leader last year and I will be again this coming year. I consider my fellow Deedz leaders as some of my closest friends. I hope to see you guys on Friday nights once the school year starts!- AmandaAmanda is a third year social work major and a psychology minor. She is from Belleville, Ontario. Check out here LAUNCH Profile below.

So you’re all coming with different stories, different backgrounds and different reasons for different majors, different purposes and different goals, but here’s the one thing you all can’t change. You’re all here at a Christian university, and this is my challenge to you: to keep and grow your faith during your time at Redeemer. I can hear your responses already, “How hard can that be? Isn’t Redeemer a Christian university?” Hear me out. Some of the most wonderful things I have grown to appreciate about Redeemer are that the professors pray before class, chapel is held on campus every Wednesday, and dorms openly hold spontaneous worship sessions on their porches. However, these are exactly the kinds of things that can have a way of making you feel way too comfortable with your spot in the Redeemer bubble. I’m not saying for a moment that the bubble is bad. I like the bubble! But get too comfy in this bubble for one moment, and you will not succeed at meeting my challenge! The presence of such things on campus (prayer, chapel, worship) does not mean everything is always going to be happy and easy. During your time at Redeemer you will most likely struggle and hurt for reasons that may or may not be school related. When these moments hit, the first part of my challenge to you is not to fall into the idea that just because you’re in a safe, Christian environment, moments of struggle and hurt won’t affect you. The second part of my challenge to you is to use the people and events at Redeemer to help you keep and grow your faith. Whether you choose to interact with professors, RA’s or porchmates will be up to you and whether or not you choose to attend chapel, HotSpot, or Church in the Box will also be up to you. I guess my point is that these people and events are here for you, but it’s kind of a two-way relationship. Your RA will be there for you, but I challenge you to let them be your mentor. Church in the Box will always happen once a month, but I challenge you to attend and make an effort to soak in the worship and the message. The third and final part of my challenge to you is this: step out of the bubble once in a while. It’s a good bubble, but why keep it to yourself? Perhaps you’ll even surprise yourself at how you might be able to keep and grow your faith when you get off campus and get involved with a downtown ministry or a kids club at a local church. I know it surprised me. So there’s my challenge to you for this school year. You can take it or leave it, but let me know how it goes for you!- Sharon Ngai

You begin packing for your first year of university and you suddenly realize how many things you use every single day. The next thing you realize is that you’re really unsure of what you should and shouldn’t bring to your dorm at Redeemer. 1. Bedding. Your bed has to be comfortable and cozy to sleep in, but it might serve a couple of other functions as well. If you’re like me, you’ll already be super excited about decorating your room. One way you can do this is by bringing sheets/pillow cases/a duvet cover with interesting designs on them. Your bed might also turn into a prime hangout spot during the day so a few extra pillows might be a good idea. 2. Alarm clock. This is useful if you have early classes or if you need a wake up call from your afternoon nap. It’s also handy to always know what time it is so you’ll (hopefully) never be late.

Hey there, future friends! You may notice on your account statement for the upcoming semester a fee called “Student Senate Fee.” You might be wondering, what is that for? Well, Student Senate is the student government body at Redeemer, which is a little bit like your high school student council but with a lot more responsibility (and maybe a lot more fun too)! We act as a liaison between students and administration and provide funding for a variety of clubs and activities, as well as handle the contract with the Redeemer bus system. Our vision is to glorify God through all of our actions, seeking to advance His kingdom and to promote a spirit of service within the student body. Because this is a very broad scope, we narrow it down into thirteen positions filled by dedicated students. We have a President (that’s me, Danica), who chairs our meetings, provides direction, and regularly meets with administration. We have three vice presidents: Finance (TBD), who handles the budgets for clubs and advises on financial issues; Student Affairs (Keith), who brings student concerns to Senate, assists the President, and organizes panels; and Communications (Hayley), who handles all correspondence through senate@redeemer.ca, puts announcements in the daily Timeout email, sends out weekly emails, and manages the Senate Facebook Page. We have two committee chairs: our Spiritual Activities and Services Committee (SASC) Chair (Laura), who runs events such as 24/7 Prayer Week, Hotspot, and Fall and Winter Retreat; and our Activities Chair (Jackie) who puts on events such as Coffeehouse, Harvest Hoedown, and Banquet.

Art Crawl on James St. North takes place every second Friday of each month.

To say I was really excited to live in Hamilton when I first came to Redeemer is a bit of an overstatement. I grew up in a town just outside of the city, where most people choose to go in the opposite direction of Steeltown. As I ventured off campus, however, I discovered a city completely opposed to everything I grew up hearing described. I discovered a vibrant and ambitious city with a flourishing arts scene and beautiful natural landscapes. It’s safe to say that I fell head over heels in love with Hamilton throughout my first year at Redeemer – so much so that I now live downtown! As a result, here I am writing a blog post to YOU, the incoming student, about why you should love Hamilton too. So here are my top five reasons why you are bound to fall in love with your new city of residence: 1) Art Crawl – If there is one thing you can do at least once during the school year, it is attend one of the monthly Art Crawls on James St. North, which take place every second Friday of each month. After attending my first crawl (which is aptly named as you slowly ‘crawl’ between art galleries), many of my misconceptions about Hamilton disappeared. I found myself walking along a funky street, looking at the work of some really creative artists and passing by talented buskers. Eat a meal at one of the many nearby restaurants or food trucks, grab a warm drink at the Mulberry Coffeehouse, and take a stroll with some friends! 2) Waterfalls – When you drive by this sprawling city on the highway, you might discount it completely based on its industrial appearance. You will soon discover, however, that Hamilton is actually a city of natural splendor! Hidden along its tree-covered escarpment are many wonderful trails leading to beautiful waterfalls. These are great places to take photos, and even take a shallow dip (if you’re really adventurous!). Check out www.cityofwaterfalls.ca for a comprehensive list of waterfalls in the area!

Redeemer has a rich live music scene involving current students, alumni, and other local musicians. This music scene has grown organically with intentional additions of fertilizer from the university administration to assist students who are exploring their gifts of song-writing and performance. Performing in front of audiences are great learning opportunities, so Redeemer tries to create a variety of options for all skill and commitment levels. Below, I’ll outline some of these different venues of live performance available (in order of commitment). Coffeehouse is a monthly gathering of students organized by Student Senate that includes skits, comedy, poetry, and live music. Any student can sign up to perform and are given time for one or two songs. Many students enjoy this outlet and are content playing at coffeehouses but have no interest in other opportunities. If a band forms out of coffeehouse performances, or a student is a member of a local band, another opportunity is the annual Battle of the Bands in which 5 finalists are given 20 minutes to perform. These finalists are chosen by a student vote and a panel of judges. Usually there are 10 – 12 entries and some bands enter multiple years in a row and have to work hard to gain a finalist spot. This work is just a taste of the practice and skill needed to gain fans. Some bands work hard to craft a 20 minute set that they can show off to their friends and family under professional lights with professional sound and the memories, a few pictures and video is enough. The winner, as chosen by a panel of professional judges, is sent to a provincial competition with bands from other universities. The Arkells represented McMaster at this competition several years ago.

You’ll notice that once you get to university you suddenly have to pay for those textbooks that your high school classes provided for you. The good news is that there are several different and equally easy ways to save money and find the textbooks you need.

1. Once you know your class schedule for the Fall Semester, the best way to find out which textbooks you’ll need is by checking out the textbook list provided on Redeemer’s website. It’s updated on a regular basis and can be found by going towww.redeemer.ca clicking on future/current students choosing “bookstore” from the drop down menu clicking “textbook list” on the left side choosing the appropriate semester: fall 2013 Click here if you have any trouble navigating the website.

2. Redeemer’s on-campus bookstore has all of the current semester’s textbooks organized by course code. It makes shopping for all the books you need really easy and efficient. For returning students, the bookstore buys back textbooks at 50% of the original price (as long as the textbook is in good condition and is the current edition). These textbooks are then sold through the bookstore to other students at a reduced price.

The on-campus bookstore is open Monday to Friday from 9:00am – 5:00pm and has extended hours during the first week of classes.

3. Located just outside of the bookstore is a bulletin board that students use throughout the semester to post the titles they are selling or are looking to buy. Since the location is right in the middle of the academic building, it usually has quite a bit of traffic between classes.

4. For today’s online generation, the bulletin board has conveniently been taken online. There is an open Facebook group, which describes itself as “a group to help everyone find the textbooks they need for the [current] school year and to sell those they no longer need.” It has served as a really helpful tool for incoming, returning, or previous Redeemer students. Just search “Request or Advertise your books – Redeemer U/C” in the Facebook search bar.

Having to buy textbooks may seem like a chore, but it can be made a lot easier if you check out the tips above. You’ll save money on the textbooks you need, earn some money back with the textbooks you sell, and maybe you’ll even find a few books that you’ll want to keep!

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Author Sharon is an Honours Religion and Theology & Social Work double major going into her fourth year at Redeemer and has been involved in LAUNCH as a LAUNCH leader, an R.A, and a Mission Control member.

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Author Danica is an Honours Physical Education Major with a Minor in Religion and Theology and is in the P/J division of the Concurrent Education program going into her fourth year at Redeemer. She will be leading Student Senate as the President for the 2013-2014 academic year.

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Author Micah is the Activities and Orientation Coordinator at Redeemer University College. His own personal journey saw him start by jamming in the basement with friends. Soon they were on the coffeehouse stage, and then at Spring Banquet. After completing his BA, he joined a couple other alumni in a professional band where they played at weddings to make money and original music at other venues to develop. After 8 months of this, he realized that the itch was satisfied and he moved on. And now the popular music itch is back, albeit in a slightly different way. He will be taking a one-year study leave from Redeemer to complete a Masters of Popular Music at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.